STR YOUR EXCELLENCY I WISH TO REFER TO THE URGENT QUESTION OF

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1 NNiMN ZCZC CLH354 LBH877 FLB1463 NBF657 JKE129 JACA6147AA QBXX BV CMBxC^JO ieneve/836/ PAqE1/50 HAY '79 ETATPRI OR1TE HER EXCELLENCY THE RT. HON. MARGARET THATCHER PRIME MINISTER LONDONSW1 M.P. LHS 84 5 P.O. INTERNATIONAL TELE«RARHS L4N50N 25 MAY. 7 8 S.W.I AREA OFFICE BROA»WAT INQUIRIES DIAL l«5 STR YOUR EXCELLENCY I WISH TO REFER TO THE URGENT QUESTION OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS FROM INDOCHINA DURINQ MY RECENT MISSION TO SOUTH EAST ASIA THE LEADERS OF THESE COUNTRIES RAISED THIS QUESTION THE ACUTE HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM COL STR LE3H877 FLB1463 ETATPR 10R I TE HER PAQE2/50 POSED BY THE LARGE OUTFLOW OF PEOPLE UPROOTED FROM INDOCHINA IS A SOURCE OF THE MOST SERIOUS CONCERN TO GOVERNMENTS AND TO THE UNITED NATIONS THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS FROM INDOCHINA IN SOUTH EAST ASIAN COUNTIRES OF FIRST ASYLUM HAS BEEN INCREASING SINCE 1975 AND HAS DRAMATICALLY COL 1975 LBH877 FLB1463 ETATPR 10R I TE HER PAQE3/50 RISEN SINCE THE SUMMER OF 1978 LAST MONTH ALONE MORE THAN 25,000 "BOAT PEOPLE" ARRIVED IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES OF THE REGION AND TENS OF THOUSANDS CROSSED THE BORDER INTO THAILAND WHILE IN THE SAME MONTH ONLY 8,400 LEFT THE REGION FOR COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT FIGURES FOR MAY INDICATE THAT AN

2 RISEN SINCE THE SUMMER OF 1978 LAST MONTH ALONE MORE THAN 25,000 "BOAT PEOPLE" ARRIVED IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES OF THE REQJON AND TENS OF THOUSANDS CROSSED THE BORDER INTO THAILAND WHILE IN THE SAME MONTH ONLY 8,400 LEFT THE REQION FOR COUNTRIES OF RESETTLEMENT FIGURES FOR MAY INDICATE THAT AN COL ,000 8,400 LBH877 FLB1463 ETATPRI OR ITE HER PAQE4/50 EVEN HIQHER NUMBER WILL BE ADDED THIS MONTH TO THE QUARTER OF A MILLION PRESENTLY IN CAMPS AWAITING RESETTLEMENT PLACES ALTHOUGH MUCH HAS BEEN DONE TO HELP ALLEVIATE HUMAN SUFFERING IN THE AREA AND TO FIND LASTINQ SOLUTIONS THIS PROBLEM HAS NOW REACHED CRISIS PROPORTIONS WITHIN THE UNITED NATION'S SYSTEM LBH877 FLB1463 ETATPRICR ITE HER PAQE5/50 THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR HUMANITARIAN ACTION IN RESPONSE TO REFUGEE PROBLEMS AROUND THE WORLD LIES WITH THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS MANDATE THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES HAS MADE EVERY EFFORT TO PROTECT AND ASSIST THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT AND CONTINUE LBH877 FLB1463 ETATPRICRITE HER PAQE6/50 TO LEAVE INDOCHINA THE CORNER-STONE OF UNHCR'S WORK IS THE INTERNATIONALLY-ACCEPTED HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLE OF ASYLUM WITHOUT A GENEROUS POLICY OF AT LEAST TEMPORARY ASYLUM THERE CAN BE NO BASIS FOR HUMANITARIAN ACTION THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EAST ASIA ALREADY BEAR A HEAVY BURDEN AS RESULT OF THE OUTFLOW FROM

3 J MB75 I2 5SH NNNN ZCZC CLH356 LBH878 FLB1465 NBF658 JKC665 JACA6147AB QBXX BV CHBX 300 QENEVE 836/ PAQE7/50 f.o. INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPHS LtNM N I.W.I 2 5 MAY.7 9 AR A OFFICE BROA1WAY ENQUIRIES DIAL 163 ETATPRIORITE HER EXCELLENCY THE RT. HON. MARGARET THATCHER M.P. PRIME MINISTER LONDONSW1 INDOCHINA THEY SHARE WITH SO MANY OTHER COUNTRIES THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALARMING INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF THE WORLD'S REFUGEES - TODAY MORE THAN 10 MILLION I WOULD HOWEVER APPEAL TO THEM AS I DID DURING MY MISSION TO THE REGION THAT THEY CONTINUE TO GRANT ASYLUM THOSE WHO COL 10 LBH878 FLB1465 ETATPR I0RJTE HER PAQE8/50 ARRIVE SHOULD NOT BE TURNED AWAY ONCE ASYLUM IS GRANTED LASTING HUMANITARIAN SOLUTIONS MUST BE FOUND THESE SOLUTIONS ARE POSSIBLE ONLY IF GOVERNMENTS MAKE EVERY EFFORT BOTH SINGLY AND JOINTLY TO SEE HOW THEY CAN BEST CONTRIBUTE AND IF THEY TRANSLATE QOOD INTENTIONS INTO ACTION SINCE THE AUTUMN OF LAST LBH878 JACA6147AB THE RT. PAQE9/50 YEAR THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT AND THE NUMBER OF SUCH OPPORTUNITIES HAVE DOUBLED AT

4 SETTLEMENT AND THE NUMBER OF SUCH OPPORTUNITIES HAVE DOUBLED AT PRESENT COUNTRIES HAVE OFFERED 106,000 RESETTLEMENT PLACES OUTSIDE SOUTH EAST ASIA AND THIS NUMBER IS LIKELY TO SURPASS 120,000 SOON HOWEVER THE ESCALATING. INFLUX DEMONSTRATES DRAMATICALLY THE NECESSITY FOR ADDITIONAL RESETTLEMENT COL 108, ,000 LBH878 FLB1465 JACA6147AB THE PAGE10/50 OFFERS AND 1 WOULD THEREFORE URGE THAT SUCH OFFERS BE INCREASED OVER AND ABOVE THOSE ALREADY ANNOUNCED TO MATCH THIS ACUTE AND GROWING NEED DURING MY RECENT DISCUSSIONS IN HANOI THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES REITERATED THEIR DECISION TO PERMIT ORDERLY DEPARTURES SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT WOULD COVER FAMILY REUNION CASES AND ALSO LBH876 JACA6147AB THE RT. PAGE11/50 TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OTHER HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS PROVIDED ENTRY VISAS HAVE BEEN GRANTED BY THE COUNTRIES OF NEW RESIDENCE ANOTHER RECENT DEVELOPMENT WAS LAST WEEK'S MEETING OF GOVERNMENTS IN DJAKARTA TO DISCUSS THE ASEAN PROPOSAL FOR PROCESSING CENTRES TO BE ESTABLISHED IN THE REGION SUCH CENTRES WOULD SERVE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE LBH878 JACA6147AB THE RT. PAQE12/50 FOR WHOM RESETTLEMENT COMMITMENTS EXIST BUT WHO FACE A LONG WAIT BEFORE THEY CAN MOVE TO PERMANENT RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES THE FIRST SUCH CENTRE IS EXPECTED TO BE ESTABLISHED ON THE INDONESIAN ISLAND OF GALANG: A FURTHER SITE HAS BEEN OFFERED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINES HOWEVER ORDERLY DEPARTURES FROM

5 MAY 25 I2U*79 P.O. INTERNATIONAL TELE6NAPHS {fj / 25 MAY. 7 9 / / S.W.I AHfcA OFFICE BROADWAY ' NNNN / EN«U1RIES DIAL 163 ZCZC CLH348 LBJ553 QLB1446 NBF656 JKF541 JACA6147ZZ ^ > GBXX BV CHBX GEN EVE/4 36/ PAGE 13/50 J ETATPRIOR I TE HER EXCELLENCY THE RT HON MARGARET THATCHER MP PRIME MINISTER LONDONSW1 VIET NAM AND ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCESSING CENTRES CANNOT PER SE SOLVE THE REFUGEE CRISIS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA UNFAILING COMMITMENT AND EFFORTS BY COUNTRIES IN AND OUTSIDE THE REGION ARE NEEDED UNHCR CAN PROCEED TO CARRY OUT ITS HUMANITARIAN TASKS IK SOUTH EAST ASIA ONLY IF CONTINUED AND INCREASED FINANCIAL J A C A Z Z THE RT HON MARGARET THATCHER HP PAGE 14/50 SUPPORT IS FORTHCOMING AT PRESENT UNHCR IS SPENDING SOME DOLLARS 7 MILLION PER MONTH TO MEET NEEDS FOR THE MINIMUM CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS AND IF THE RATE OF ARRIVALS CONTINUES TO RUSE SO WILL FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS I THEREFORE APPEAL TO GOVERNMENTS TO GIVE THE HIGHEST COL 7 JACA6147ZZ THE RT. HOM. MARGARET THATCHER MP PAGE15/50

6 CQ O O.J P CO COMMITMENT AND EFFORTS BY COUNTRIES IN AND OUTSIDE THE REG. I ON ARE NEEDED UNHCR CAN PROCEED TO CARRY OUT ITS HUMANITARIAN TASKS IK SOUTH EAST ASIA ONLY IF CONTINUED AND INCREASED FINANCIAL JACA6147ZZ THE RT HON MARGARET THATCHER MP PAGE 14/50 SUPPORT IS FORTHCOMING AT PRESENT UNHCR IS SPENDING SOME DOLLARS 7 MILLION PER MONTH TO MEET NEEDS FOR THE MINIMUM CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS AND IF THE RATE OF ARRIVALS CONTINUES TO RUSE SO WILL FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS I THEREFORE APPEAL TO GOVERNMENTS TO GIVE THE HIGHEST COL 7 JACA6147ZZ THE RT. HOM. MARGARET THATCHER MP PAGE15/50 PRIORITY TO MEASURES WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO MEET THIS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS I CALL ON THEM IN THE MOST URGENT TERMS TO INCREASE THEIR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND TO JOINT IN THE SEARCH FOR LASTING SOLUTIONS BY MAKING AVAILABLE INCREASED NUMBERS JACA6147ZZ THE RT HON MARGARET THATCHER f-p PAGE 16/35 OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES TO EN ABLE THOSE WAITING IN THE CAMPS OF SOUTH EAST ASIA TO BEGIN A NEW PRODUCTIVE LIFE PLEASE ACCEPT YOUR EXCELLENCY THE ASSURANCES OF MY HIGHEST CONSIDERATION KURT WALDHEIM SECRETARY-GENERAL UNITED NATIONS